Snap fastener installation



P 6, 1965 M. J. CARPINELLA 3,176,365

SNAP FASTENER INSTALLATION Filed Sept. 5, 1962 INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,176,365 7 SNAP FASTENER INSTALLATIGN Michael J. Carpinella, Waterbury, Comm, assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Comm, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 221,516 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-219) My invention is an improved snap fastener installation and is concerned particularly with the attachment of a common form of snap fastener stud element to flexible Supporting material, such as the edge of a fabric garment.

The most commonly used snap fastener has a stud element made of metal for strength and durability, with a hollow bulbous head and a base flange seated against the face of the garment. It is secured in place by a post having a head on the opposite side of the garment material and a shank piercing through the material and upset inside the hollow bulbous head. It is difficult to grip the material tightly between the head of the post and the base flange and a side stress on the fastener must be resisted by the small area of the textile yarns around the shank of the post. To overcome this problem, various kinds of reinforcements have been proposed. These involve added costs and are unsatisfactory for other reasons, especially when fasteners are applied to knitted goods, such as sweaters.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to provide an improved but economical installation of the stud element of a snap fastener wherein the lateral stresses are resisted by the yarns of the fabric over a suflicient area which is even preferably larger than the base flange of the metal stud element. This is accomplished by the use of a thermo-plastic post having a head with at least its outer section bonded preferably by heat, to the fabric in a region which extends beyond the base metal flange. Heat and pressure applied to the head coincident with the setting operation causes the thermoplastic to enter the interstices between the textile yarns so as to unite them together to resist tearing stresses.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear. In the accompanying drawing, I have shown for purposes of illustration, one embodiment which the invention may assume in practice. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows in central section separated elements of the installation;

FIG. 2 is also a central section but with the parts fully assembled;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the same; and,

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section showing one method of assembling the parts of my improved fastener installation.

A typical metal stud element consists of a hollow bulbous head 5 and a base flange 6 which seats against one face of the flexible supporting material 7. The post for securing the metal stud element in place is of suitable thermo-plastic material, having a head 8 and a shank 9, and the end of the shank is initially pointed as indicated As noted in FIG. 1, the post head 8 is of substantially larger diameter than the base flange 6 of the metal stud element, and initially as shown in FIG. 1, is somewhat thicker than the finished job shownin FIG. 2.

The flexible support is shown as consisting of textile 3,17%,365 Patented Apr. 6, I965 cloth having interlaced yarns 11 with interstices between them.

The fastener setting operating need not be modified to any great extent from present practices, except preferably both the upper setting die 12 and the lower setting die 13 are heated by suitable means such as electric resistance coils 14 and 15. As seen in FIG. 5, the stud element is fed into position by the finger 16, the material 7 placed in proper position between the dies, and the lower die carrying the thermo-plastic post moves upwardly, causing the pointed end it; to pierce the material of the garment and enter the hollow section of the post, wherein it is upset so that it is permanently anchored inside the bulbous head 5.

In the case of some plastics, this upsetting can be done without the use of heat while, in other cases, it is preferable to heat the portion of the die carrying the stud element. As a result of the invention, it will be seen that, without the use of any additional reinforcements, an installation has been provided wherein any lateral stress on the fastener will be transmitted over a substantial area of the textile material so that danger of tearing away of the stud element is avoided.

If desired, the upper surface of the pest head 8 may be furnished with various ornamental characteristics to enhance the appearance of the exposed surface of the fastener member. In FIGS. 2 and 4, the top surface of the head 8 is shown with a series of radial flutes or grooves 17. These flutes or grooves preferably should be applied during the setting operation and will better serve to force the plastic material into the interstices of the supporting material 7 and improve the bonding effect.

Variations and modifications in the details of structure may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener installation comprising (a) a flexible support;

(b) a metal stud element having a hollow bulbousshaped head and a radial flange seated against one side of said support; and

(c) a post consisting of thermo-plastic material having a shank and an integral head flange seated against the opposite side of said support, said shank extending through said support and permanently anchored within said hollow stud head, said head flange being of substantially larger diameter than said radial flange and being bonded in that region extending beyond said radial flange to said support sheet.

2. A fastener installation as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible support consists of interlaced textile yarns with interstices therebetween, and wherein the head of i said therrno-plastic post is bonded by heat so that a portion of said thermo-plastic enters said interstices to bind together said textile yarns in a region surrounding said radial flange on the metal stud element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 680,373 Devine Aug. 13, 1901 2,610,879 Pope Sept. 16, 1952 7 2,683,908 Carpinella July 20, 1954 2,895,199 Jones July 21, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 218,338 Australia Nov. 12, 1958 UNITED STATES P CERTIFICATE OF ATENT OFFICE CORRECTION Patent No.

April 6, 1965 Michael J; Carpinella It is hereby certified that err ent requiring co or appears in rrection and that th corrected below.

the above numbered pat e said Letters Patent should read as Column 1, line 61, after so that it can readily pierce t Signed and sealed this 24t indicated" insert at 10 hrough the material 7,

h day of August 1965 (SEAL) A nest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER nesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A FASTENER INSTALLATION COMPRISING (A) A FLEXIBLE SUPPORT; (B) A METAL STUD ELEMENT HAVING A HOLLOW BULBOUSSHAPED HEAD AND A RADIAL FLANGE SEATED AGAINST ONE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT; AND (C) A POST CONSISTING OF THERMO-PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A SHANK AND AN INTEGRAL HEAD FLANGE SEATED AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORT, SAID SHANK EXTEND ING THROUGH SAID SUPPORT AND PERMANENTLY ANCHORED WITHIN SAID HOLLOW STUD HEAD, SAID HEAD FLANGE BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER DIAMETER THAN SAID RADIAL FLANGE AND BEING BONDED IN THAT REGION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID RADIAL TO SAID SUPPORT SHEET. 